Potential
by VampireWine
Summary: Five people who failed to save Jim and the one person who succeeded.
1. A Mother's Hope

Potential

A Mother's Hope

* * *

Standard Disclaimers Apply

Age – 0

Location: The USS Kelvin

* * *

Winona Kirk

Winona Kirk was positive that her pregnancy was going to last forever. She was only seven and a half months along but it felt like she was already light years past her due date. Just like last time. The child growing inside of her was active and usually kicked her in the blather at the worst possible moment. She could constantly feel movement within her and she would occasional see the shape of a tiny hand of foot pressing out of her stomach. This was as intrusive, as it was aw inspiring. It was harder to concentrate with the constant movement and it was making sleep very tricky. However, Winona knew her second child was going to be amazing.

It had become a custom for her to walk the halls of the Kelvin when she couldn't sleep. She would take this time to talk to the life inside of her and she would tell it all about her plans. She had been secretly looking up special schools and accelerated programs that she was planning to send her newest child to. George would laugh if she ever told him but Winona knew that baby was going to be special. Her baby had been conceived among the stars and she was sure that he was going to do great things one day. Winona rubbed her stomach as she walked the mostly deserted halls of the ship she had called home for almost a year. The life inside of her kicked her hand and Winona smiled. She couldn't wait until the baby was born. She knew that it was going to be one of the happiest days of her life.

* * *

Authors Note: Special thanks to Misscar who is the most wonderful beta in the world! Go check out some of her stories. Let me know what you think of the new story.


	2. Police Intervention

Potential

Title: Police Intervention

* * *

Standard Disclaimers Apply

Star date: 2245.31

Age 12

Riverside Police Station

* * *

Officer Jose Rodriguez

Officer Jose Rodriguez sat at his desk going over the 'paperwork' for his latest arrest. Why do they call it paperwork when it has not involved actual paper for over two centuries? It was the Kirk kid again. Jose was beginning to think that he spent more time with that boy than he did his own kids. He looked over towards the boy and shook his head. He was sure that chair had the kids name engraved on it. It was so sad. It was obvious that the young man was brilliant. If he would stop using the brain God gave him for mischief he might have a chance to get out of this godforsaken town.

Rodriguez had tried many times to figure out why the kid acted out. Was it boredom? The town was small and dead and had little that would keep a kid as smart as Kirk busy. It wasn't like the schools here were known for their accelerated curriculum as his high school teacher wife has pointed out many times. Maybe Jim was just looking for something exciting to do.

He studied the boy for a few more moments then shook his head. No, Jim wasn't board he was hurt and angry. Maybe the boy was lashing out or trying to get attention. He knew that the kid's mother was never home. She worked in space and apparently had little time for her children. Rodriguez could still remember the first time the police droid brought Jim in a year ago; the kid had nearly killed himself driving a vintage car over a cliff.

The Mother's reaction had sickened Jose. She had been more concerned about the car the boy had destroyed than she had about her son. It had taken everything he had not to start screaming at the woman through the Comm. about how her son could have been killed. She did an even bother to come back to deal with the situation in person. Apparently, Jim was little more than an afterthought to her.

The Stepfather hadn't been much better. The man had refused to pick the young man up for two days and when he did come he look like he had the hangover from hell. Smith had been tempted to refuse to release the boy into his custody but was overruled by his idiotic superior who just happened to be a drinking buddy the stepfather. Sometimes Jose wonders if he should have called child services or at lease give the step dad a sobriety test. After that day, Kirk had become almost a permanent fixture in the station.

Jose finished processing James and walked over to take a seat next to the child. Kirk was on a bad path and he would only get so many chances before he either killed himself or did something so bad that they locked him up for good. He could see the boy's promise, he just needed to refocus his attentions on more positive activities. Things that weren't illegal. What the young man really needed was a positive role model. Maybe if he had someone to look up to he would try and do better. Jose took a deep breath and decided to try to connect with the kid. Hopefully he could save him. He had to try.

"Hey Jim how are you doing? Do you need anything?" Jose winced. He was going for friendly but that was a terrible way to start.

The boy shrugged his shoulders before asking his own question. "Is Frank coming to get me?" The boy asked indifferently.

"We're still trying to reach him. I'm sure he stepped out for a bit and will be back soon. I doubt you'll have to be here much longer." Rodriguez tried to sound reassuring but he knew that Jim was well aware that it could be days before his Stepfather came to pick him up. Jose was screwing this up royally. He needed to connect with the kid. An idea popped into his head and he had to fight down a smile.

"Look Son, I'm going fishing this weekend and could really use some company. Would you like to come with me?"

The look Kirk shot him was cold and full of disgust. "I'm not your son." He turned and stared off in another direction, clearly he was saying that the conversation was over.

Jose took a deep breath and decided to give it one more shot. If friendly didn't work maybe stern authority figure would. "James you've got to stop this." The boy ignored him. "If you don't straighten up you're going to end up in jail or Dead. You're really smart and I know that you know what you're doing isn't right. Please try and be the great person I know you can be."

Kirk never even twitched. Jose shook his head and returned to his desk. The kid didn't get it but that wouldn't stop him from trying. He would try again the next time Kirk was brought into the station and if that didn't work he would try again the time after that. He wouldn't give up on James Kirk. The boy was special and Jose Rodriguez had a feeling that he was to do great things one day, if he didn't kill himself first.

* * *

Except, James never came back to his station. Jose originally hoped the maybe he did actually get through. Four months later when he arrested Jim Kirk's no good stepfather for another DWI, he found out that the incident that spring was the last straw and Jim was sent to live with his aunt and her husband. Jose personally thought that was a good thing. With good parental figures maybe James would be okay. Maybe Tarsus IV was just the thing Kirk needed to keep him from becoming another statistic. Any way, it was out of his hands now.

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks to Misscar, a wonderful Beta. Please review! I didn't get any feedback for the first chapter and I need to know what you think of the story. Do you like it, would you like something different, does it suck so bad that no one can stand to read it? Please give me answers to these burning questions!


	3. The Road to Hell

Potential

The Road to Hell

Standard Disclaimers Apply

* * *

Age: 12

Star Date:2245.81

Location: Tarsus IV

The man who will become the Devil

It never failed to surprise him how stupid government officials could be. He had presented the information to them, showed them irrefutable evidence of the danger the colony was in and still they ignored him. The fools were going to kill them all!

Trying to calm himself, he began reviewing the data in front of him again. At present the fungus was only affecting plants and wildlife native to Tarsus IV. The colonists would be safe as long as the cultivated crops remained unaffected. Once that happened, all would be lost. The bureaucrats in charge did not see a point story in enough food away to support the growing population for an indefinite point of time. They did not see the true danger. The lack of food would result in a slow and painful death for the inhabitants Tarsus IV.

He shook his head and tossed the report aside. There was no use tormenting himself. The mindless bureaucrats in power had dismissed his warnings and had ordered not to inform the public or leave the doomed planet himself. They were all going to die due bureaucratic stupidity and there was nothing he could do to prevent the upcoming catastrophe.

"What's wrong?" The small voice startled him out of his thoughts and made him smile. Jimmy Kirk was an amazing young man. He had seen the genius in the boy almost as soon as his aunt introduced him to the engaging young man. Jimmy had a great deal of potential and he had quickly taken the young man under his wing inviting him to spend time after school in his lap. Since Jimmy arrived this spring, he had come to think of him almost as a son.

"Don't worry Jimmy, I just had an unproductive meeting with a few very idiotic but important individuals." He made sure to keep his tone easy and light. There was no need to involve the boy now. He would learn about what was to come eventually.

"Can I help?" Jimmy asked him quickly.

The quiet innocence of the question tugged at his heart. This boy, this brilliant boy would never reach his potential because a group of powerful fools refused to see what was right in front of them. Jimmy did not deserve what was about to happen to him nor did he need to know about it now. Let him have his last few months of happiness before all he had come to love here was destroyed. "It's a trivial matter don't worry yourself about it. Come over here and we'll work on your studies."

* * *

He sat back in his chair and watched Jimmy finish the last of the calculus problems he had given him. It was almost time for the young man to go home. All that was left was the ethics question he always asked the boy before he left. A list of hypothetical situations ran through his head but he dismissed them. Jimmy had asked if he could him help maybe he would give the boy a chance.

"I am done!" The enthusiasm of the statement made him smile and he praised the young man as he took the PADD he had been working on. Such promise that was about to be wasted. It broke his heart.

"Are you ready for your Ethics question?" At the boys nod he posed his 'hypothetical' question.

"There is an outbreak of a deadly bacteria in a certain type of wildlife. Eventually this bacteria will contaminate the food supply of other animals and will make it inedible and will result in the death of all the animals due to insufficient food. The owners of the preserve have some food stored away but not enough to feed all the animals. What should they do?"

Jimmy mulled the question over for a few minutes. Quick answers were not accepted. "They need to get more food or move the animals to a better place. They need to call for help."

The answer was too easy under those conditions. "Help will not arrive in time to save the animals. There's not enough food in the reserves. What should they do?"

He let Jimmy work the problem over in his head as he thought of his own problem. How could he save the people of Tarsus IV? How could he save Jimmy.

"I got it!" The boy said as the smile disappeared from his face. "You're not going to like it but I think it's the only way under those conditions. If it is impossible to save all of the animals the people running the place need to figure out how many animals they can feed with the food that they have and then they should kill those they can't save, so they won't suffer. But their has to be another way to save all the animals."

"Jimmy that's…" The chronometer on the corner of the desk chimed ending the session. "It time for you to go home Jimmy. I'll see you tomorrow and we can discuss the problem more. Say hello to your Aunt for me ok."

"Ok, bye."

As his young protégé gathered his things and walked out the door, he mused over the boy's solution to the problem. Save those you could and put the rest out of their misery. It was a horrible and morbid idea but it was worth thinking about. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

* * *

Star Date: 2246.76

He watched quietly as his guards dragged the broken body of Jimmy Kirk into the room. This was the great JT? The boy who had showed such promise, who had so impressed him and planted the seed of the idea that had enabled him to save half of the colony? The boy who had turned against him by hiding those that were deserving of death and fighting him at every turn? This was the child who had killed a number of his soldiers? He shook his head and looked deep into his eyes. A bright shocking blue glared back at him though the dirt, blood, and grime that covered him.

"You have betrayed me. I tried to give you everything and you turned away and spurred me. Why?" He asked bitterly

The voice that answered was surprisingly strong and full of venom. "You killed everyone and…"

"No! I saved everyone. Don't you understand, if I haven't done what I did we all would have died. There was no other choice." Anger was starting to bleed into his voice. How could the boy that he had nurtured and mentored doubt him this way? He thought that he was smarter than that. That he above all others would understand. "History will remember me as a hero, you'll see."

The boys shoulders shook silently at the words. "There are always other options. There are no absolutes. You're a monster not a hero. I hate you." The bloodied boy spat bitterly.

He could see the anger and hurt in the young man's eyes. Why didn't he understand? He was such a brilliant young man. He should know that what he did was the only way. He took a few deep breaths and decided to give Jimmy one last chance. "I know that you don't mean that. You're confused and hurt right now. You are just lashing out. I understand and I forgive you. The death of so many is hard on you. It's hard on me too but one day you will understand. The group of children that are hiding in the woods, tell me where they are and I'll forget your poor judgment." He said trying to reason with the child that once was so important to him.

"Fuck You!" James said angrily as he literally spat on him.

No, he had to get through to the boy. If Jimmy didn't tell him what he needed to know he would have to put his former protégé to death. He had taken over the colony in a bloody coup and issued the death orders so that people may live. He only killed those who were deserving of death like individuals with disabilities and those who engaged in unions that could not result in procreation. He saved the best and Jim was among the best or so he thought. The boy he thought of as a son was supposed to be among the survivors, not be a traitor to the cause. "If you don't tell me I won't be able to save you." He said pleading with the boy.

Before the angry young man could answer a guard burst through the door, coming to attention before him. "Governor Kodos, there's a ship that's just dropped out of warp. It's a Starfleet vessel sir."

He cursed to himself. It was too soon, they would not understand what he had done to save the people. He needed more time. He stopped and took a calming breath. It would be ok, he had prepared for this possibility. He turned to the guard and issued his orders before moving to kneel before his Jimmy. He had one last chance, he could not waste it.

"Jimmy, come with me. You are angry now but soon you'll see. I care about you. You are like my son. Let me take care of you." Again, he said it in a pleading voice.

Haunted, angry blue eyes bore into his own before the boy spit on him again. "You're nothing but an vile psychopath and I hope you burn in hell."

"Lock him up, I'll deal with him later." Standing up he made to move towards the door. When a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Kodos, you better hope that they kill you, because if they don't I will hunt you down and make you suffer until your last breath." Said the boy who once meant so much to him.

He didn't turn around only walked through the door and out of Jim Kirk's life. No matter what anyone said in the years to come, he had saved four thousand people and he had tried to save Jimmy Kirk. He did what he had to do. The needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few.

* * *

Author's Note 2: Again, big thanks to my beta Misscar. She is amazing and always makes my works better. Go read her stories, they're wonderful!

Merry Christmas Everyone


End file.
